Design and Construction
Pegasus Yachts builds the 50 with a vacuum-infused hybrid carbon-and-glass layup, and the material choices are deliberate. The deck, inner structure, and structural stiffeners are all carbon fibre, while the outer skin is glass, which the yard considers less vulnerable and easier to repair. Hulls are laminated in Italy before fitting out in Slovenia. Carbon appears throughout to save weight and improve performance, from the hardtop to the 40 kg gimballing settee. The tandem keel with twin centreline fins connected by a bulb was developed with America’s Cup designer Giorgio Provinciali; Paš calculates it gives better directional stability and less wetted surface for a low centre of gravity, and found it helps reduce leeway and brings better performance for its weight. Twin rudders and helms keep the boat grippy when heeled.
Rig and Handling
The carbon mast sits as far aft as practical, with a shortened boom that takes load off the integrated mainsheet arch and keeps weight low. The sailplan is optimized for 10–20 knots. A full-batten main and 104% J1 headsail are standard, with an outer sheeting point for reaching and a self-tacking J2 jib. Writing in SAIL, a tester found the helm feel had the perfect amount of feedback off France in fall 2024, with 38-knot gusts not harming seakindliness and the boat reaching 12 knots in a sustained 23 knots true with one reef and self-tacker. Another reviewer averaged 6 knots in 8–8.5 knots of wind and 8.5–9 in 12–13. Electric winches are well placed within reach of the helms.
Accommodations
This is where the Pegasus breaks from convention. There are no aft cabins; all accommodation lies forward of the saloon in two or three cabins, with 6–8 berths. The cockpit is recessed just two steps down to a narrow U-shape galley with a tall island for stable cooking. A sliding door links cockpit to interior. The salon table and U-settee form one gimballed component pivoting up to 10 degrees; the carbon settee cants electrically to reduce fatigue. Forward, a full-width helm station with panoramic tempered-glass windshield offers a powerboat-like view. The two-cabin version gives a full-beam master with large shower; the three-cabin master beds ride on tracks to join as double or split as twins. Forward cabins are tighter than typical for a 50-footer, with headroom around 6 ft 1 in.
Equipment and Energy
Standard specification is unusually complete for the class. The base price includes a Volvo D2-75 saildrive, generator, lithium batteries, watermaker, air conditioning, washing machine, solar, B&G instruments, Hydranet sails, electric winches, dinghy with Torqeedo outboard, and a large allowance of typical options. A fixed 600 W hydrogenerator sited off the keel puts 7 A+ at 24 V into the bank when sailing over 7 knots. An electric hybrid with twin Oceanvolt 15 kW drives is offered. The hardtop carries 716 W of coachroof solar and a retractable moonroof; a solid bimini option adds panels and Starlink.
Technical Access and Seakeeping Details
Below the cockpit sit two technical rooms with engine and generator between, port side plumbing and starboard electronics safely separated. Large panels and a hinged cockpit table give almost unhindered engine access. The garage fits a 2.5 m inflatable and is sealed from technical lockers by a watertight bulkhead. An offset companionway door has a safety lock for heeling, and the forward passageway is low and the doorways narrow yet benefits from large lockers.
The Verdict
The Pegasus 50 is a genuinely unconventional 50-foot cruiser that trades aft-cabin square footage for a protected, sociable cockpit and a short-handed rig that has proven itself in solo ocean racing. Her carbon-heavy, low-centre build and tandem keel deliver directional stability and easy motion, while the standard equipment list removes the usual post-purchase upgrade treadmill. The cost is forward cabins tighter than the beam suggests and a layout that won’t suit buyers wanting private aft staterooms.
Pros
- Complete bluewater standard spec including generator, watermaker, lithium, and solar
- Tandem keel with proven directional stability and low wetted surface
- Short-handed rig with electric winches and self-tacking staysail
- Gimballing settee and protected deep cockpit for offshore comfort
Cons
- No aft cabins; all berths forward and tighter than typical 50-foot norms
- Low, narrow forward passageway with limited headroom
- Spec data published as preliminary until confirmed in writing
